Spacing device for wire fences.



' Patonted lan; 29, |90I.

C. WILLMABTH.

SPACING DEVICE FOR WIRE FENCES.

(Applction led .Tune 15,'1899.)

(N'o Model.)

kil. 6 6

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES TWILLMARTH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOI-IN STEVENSON, OF SAME PLACE.

SPACiNG DEVICE FOR WlRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 666,786, dated January 29, 1901.

Application led June l5, 1899. Serial No, 720,646. (No model.)

To @ZZ 107mm/ t ntftg/ concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. WILL- rmnrri, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spacing Devices for Wire Fences, of which thefollowingisaspecification,referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a Itool used for spacing the linewires of wire fences the proper distances apart and keeping them from drawing together while weaving on the stay-wires; and the invention consists in providing means to lock the tool upon the wires in its adjusted position, in providing simple means for holding the free end of the staywire while weaving, and, further, in generally adapting the tool to its purpose, so that it will require but a minimum of time to operate it, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Eigure l is an elevation of a wire fence, showing my improved device as in operation. Eig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the parts in position as in being clamped upon the fence-wires. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view ot' the upper end of the device. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line x, Fig. 3. Eig. 5 is a cross-section on line y y, Eig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of that portion of the device to which the eccentric is secured.

A and B are two like bars secured in parallelism together, free to slide one upon the other a limited distance by means of transverse guiding-studs a, which are secured to the bar B and pass through slots b in the bar A, the studs ct being provided with suitable heads c to hold the bars together,with washers d interposed, preferably, between the bars to make them slide very freely upon each other. The bars are correspondingly provided upon their rear edges with L-shaped spacing notches c, which, as shown, extend horizontally into the bars and thence downwardly and are adapted to receive the line-wires C of a fence. To adapt the device for all the usual distances at which the line wires of wire fences maybe desired to be spaced apart,

such spacing-,notches are provided in sets of two or more, preferably about a half-inch apart from each other.

Near the upper end the bar B is provided with an elongated hole f, and the bar A is provided with a round hole or Wire-passage g, which registers with the holefin any position of the bar B. Below this hole g a hookshaped lug D is secured to the bar A, which lug is made large enough to serve the purpose of a handhold in operating the bar.

At any point convenient for operation is attached to the side of the bar A an eccentric-lever E by means of a fnlcrum-pin t', which, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is secured to the bar B and passes through a slotj in the bar A. Below the eccentric the bar A is provided with a projection 7c, upon which the eccentric is adapted to bear. y

In practice, the parts being arranged as shown and described, they are intended to operate as follows: If the eccentric-lever E is moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Eig. 6, the two bars are free to slide upon each other as far as the slots b permit it, and if the operator takes hold of the bar A alone (by using the hook D as a handhold and holding the device freely) the other bar B will assume such a position in relation thereto that the notches in both bars register with each other. In this position of theparts the operator engages the device with the linewires of the fence, so thatthe wires enter the full depth into the notches. This done he depresses the eccentric-lever into the position shown in Eig. 2. By thus depressing the eccentric-lever as far as it will go the bar B is drawn upwardly and the notches of the two bars holding the wires are drawn apart and the wires will be firmly clamped by thebars, and the device is thus firmly fastened upon the line-wires and cannot be moved from its position thereon. The operator in now weaving a staywire between the fence -wires takes the free end of the stay-wire and after passing it through the holes f and g engages it into the hook D, thus forming a bend in the wire at Z, (see Eig. 1,) which holds it fast. The operation of weaving is then accomplished in the usual manner with the use of any of the known weaving-tools. After IOO the stay is woven to the line-wires the operator cuts off the loose end thereof at l with suitable nippers, and then taking hold of the eccentric-lever and throwing it up shoves the spacing device along the line-wires into position for weaving the next stay-wire. In taking hold of the lever E and throwing it up into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 it will be seen that the eccentric relieves the clamping-pressure. The notches of the bars still overlap. Thus while the device is free to be moved laterally upon thev wires the latter cannot accidentally disengage from it. However, when it is desired to detach the device from the fence (as it will have to be done when meeting a post) the Operator has merely to throw up his eccentric higher, as shown in the dotted position shown in Fig. 6, when the two bars will adjust themselves with the notches in coincidence, and thereby permit the device to be readily withdrawn from the wires. It will thus be seen that the operator can manage the device in operation with his one free hand, while he manages the weavingtool with the other, and thus he does not lose any time, which, considering that the cost of a fence of this character largely depends upon the speed with which the stay-wires can be put on, is of considerable importance.

Having the line-wires absolutely locked in position during weaving contributes greatly to making a perfect fence.

The device as herein described may also be used in fixed position,doing duty as a fencepost either temporarily whileV weaving the fence or permanently. It may be secured in the ground by securing it to a suitable base or making the bars simply long enough t0 reach a suitable distance into the ground.

What I claim as my invention is- I. In a spacing device, the combination of two like bars secured side by side free to slide one upon the other and adapted to be engaged with the line-wires of a fence by having corresponding L-shaped notches in each bar for receiving said line-wires, an eccentric'fulcrumed to one of the bars the fulcrumpin of which projects through and has a limited movementin the slotj independently of the other bar and having a lever-handle for turning it, and a .bearing on the other bar with which said eccentric is adapted to engage and cause a relative sliding movement between the hars for clamping the fence-wires by overlapping the notches in the bars.

2. In a spacing device, the combination of the two like bars A, B secured side by side free to slide one upon the other, the inwardly and downwardly extending notches along the edges of the bars arranged in sets at intervals corresponding to the line-wires of the fence, the eccentric E fulcrumed to one 0f the bars, the bearing 7o for said eccentric on the other bar, the apertures g andf in the bars for the passage of the stay-wires, and the hook D.

3. A wire-fence spacer comprising the parallel bars, A, B, adjustably secured together and provided with L-shaped notches for receiving the line-wires of a fence, an eccentric having a lever-handle pivotally secured to one of the bars and operating on a bearing k on the other bar to lock the spacer-bar on the line-wires of afence, and the hook D for the stay-wire.

4. In a spacing device, the combination of the two bars A, B, secured side by side free to slide one upon the other, inwardly-extending notches formed along the edges of the bars, arranged in sets atintervals corresponding to the line-wires of the fence, the eccentric E fulcrumed to one of the bars and having a lever-handle, the bearing k for said eccentric on the other bar, and the clampingscrews a whereby the parts may be clamped in any of their adjusted positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. WILLMARTH.

Witnesses:

JOHN STEvENsoN, OTTO F. BARTHEL. 

